Why isn't big business pushing for government sponsored health care?

[Kablooie]

America is the only country in the world that burdens companies with the health care costs of employees.

It hurts our global competitiveness and has nearly destroyed our auto industry.

[Kalyke]

1. They have - but the talking heads didn't talk about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/business/06auto.html

DETROIT, Oct. 5 — For years, General Motors has said it supports the United Automobile Workers union in its push for change in the nation’s health care system. Now the U.A.W. has persuaded G.M. to put its money where its mouth is.

In a labor agreement reached last week between the company and the union, G.M. has agreed to spend up to $15 million over the next few years to create a National Institute for Health Care Reform.

This was from 2007, btw.

[prairierose]

2. This is the question I have been asking for many years....

We can not be competitive in the global market as long as all of the burden of health care is on the employer. Of course, now, the insurance racketeers have jacked prices so far out of line that not even business can afford to pay so they are just taking that benefit away. They are screaming for help to get out from under health care for their retirees but they still are not asking for either universal heal care or single payer health care. Why? Because it would hurt their racketeer friends in the "insurance" industry and because they have been brainwashed that it would be socialism. And, because the US Chamber of Commerce tells them it would be bad. No, they just do not want to be responsible any longer for their contractual obligations to their retirees. After all, living up to any contract is only for the "little" people.

They would rather see more people dying for lack of health care than the 23,000 (as of 2007) who die each year in this country for lack of health care. 23000 is 1916 people who die each month for lack of health care in the US. 23000 is 64 people who die each day because of lack of health care in the US. And we know that as more people lose their jobs and can not afford to pay health insurance on their own that the number of Americans with no health care will increase astronomically. How many people lost jobs in the last month? In the last year?

Yet, when it comes to enacting single payer health care, all we hear about are the same poor racketeers in the "insurance" industry who use murder by spreadsheet to deny care to people who do have "insurance" whether paid for by their employer or themselves. They are playing the same game as the banksters and so far both of those groups are winning and you and I are losing. The banksters and the racketeers have rigged the game so that they win and we lose. They have the deep pockets to pay for the laws and regulations that will help them.

All we have are numbers and our own voices. It is time that we made our voices heard. Write or call your congresscritter(s) and tell them that you want to see single payer health care enacted soon.

By the way, it would stimulate the economy by creating jobs. Even though the repugnant party keeps telling us that jobs are not stimulative. Those of us who live in the real world know that is bullshit when we hear it. And believe me, I know bullshit when I step in it too.

[CrispyQ]

3. "murder by spreadsheet"

Perfect description.

[Perky]

4. can you imagine what it would do the economy to free up those dollars?

[Mass]

5. How do you think it is paid elsewhere? In some countries, it is paid by

payroll taxes, in others by taxes (do you think companies do not pay taxes).

The difference is that, in most countries, it is based on some level of revenues or others, not on the number of people in a company, and that most countries have single payer healthcare, which lower the cost of healthcare.

[uponit7771]

6. In the past it was a net gain tax wise for them, they could get the tax benefit and benefit of bette

...employers but now that the cost has gone up 80% sense 2001 there's no net tax benefit and employers HAVE to pass the cost off to employees.